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The unique ability of Sherpas to cope with life at high altitude has been
linked to prehistoric interbreeding with an ancient relative of modern
humans.

Scientists have found that a gene carried by Sherpa populations that controls
red blood cell production originated in Denisovan man, a human relative that
became extinct more than 40,000 years ago.

Rasmus Nielsen, professor of integrative biology at the University of
California, Berkeley, who led the study, said: “This shows very clearly and
directly that humans evolved and adapted to new environments by getting
their genes from another species.”